Starting mechanism for gas-engines.



`Wli Kw1 STARTING MEQHANISM POR GAS ENGINES.

I APPLICATION FILED Nov. 26, 1906.

4899,498. l Patented sept.29l,19'o8.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT onine.

WILLIAM K. ANDRW, or MILWAUKEE, wIscoNsIN, AssIGNoR To INTERNATIQNAL HAR vEsTERcoMrANY, A coRPoRA'rIoN oF NEW JERSEY. i

sTAn'rrNe MEcHANrsM Fon eas-ENGINES.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that .I, WILLIAM K. ANDREW, a citizen 0f thev United' States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsinfhave invented fcertain new and useful- Improvements -in Starting Mechanismfor Gas-Engines, of which the following is a specification. f

My invention relates to starting mechan ism for gas engines invwhich compressed air or other Huid is confined under pressure and then admitted to the ower cylinder by means of ya supplementa valve mechanism under control of the operator, for the purpose vof producingtheinitial 4strokes of the piston prior lto the admission of ex blosivemixture with which the power cylinc er is regularly supplied by any of the well-known means; and the objects of my` invention are; first to ,provide a valve mechanism simple, and cheap to construct, andfpositive in action. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustratedin the accompanying drawing, in which i' Figure 1 is an elevation of avalvecase, and an end View of a cam shaft forming art `of a as engine, and showing the manner In which prefer. to attach my invention thereto; and F1 2 is a cross section of'Fig. 1, with the va ve mechanism and case shown in section. Similar reference numerals refer-to like parts throughoutthe several views.

-l represents a portion of an engine bed shown in dot'ted lines; 2 one endofa cam shaft derivingmotion from the engine shaft in the usual way, and mounted in suitable bearings carriedby the engine bed, and pro- `vided with the supplemental valve operating cams 3 and 4, the cam?) beingl single, and 4 double, for a purpose to be described later.

5 represents a supplemental valve case se# cured to the engine bed adjacent thecam shaft by means of bolts 6, communicating with a source of com ressed air supply .by

means` of a pipe 7, an' with the power cylin-A der of the-engine by means of a pipe 8 and any preferred form'of a'valve ,1nechanism adaprted to be adjusted in a manner to admit au' `mixing chamber to the engine cylinder, at 'the will of the operator. A common form of valve 9 in the' pi e 7 controls the admission of compressed air vto the valve case, and a valve 10 controls an inlet port 11 communieating with-theinletpipe and the outlet speiacation of Letters Patent.

om the starting device, or gas from as Patented Sept. 29,' 1908.

pipe 8, said outlet pipe having its receiving end` opening into an annular chamber 12 forming a part ofthe valve'case above the valve 10. An exhaust port 13 opens o ut of. the chamber 12, and 14 is a valve controlling said port and having a depending stem 15 guided'. by a bearing in the valve case, and an upwardly rejecting stem 1 6 `adapted to contact with t e cam 3 in a manner to cause said cam to open said valve at proper intervals in the operation of the starting mechanism.

The inlet valve 10 is provided with an up- I wardly projecting stem 17 extending beyond the valve case and having a bearing therein, and adapted to contact with the cam 4,- and4 adepending stem 18 having a bearing in a bridge piece 19 extending across the inlet op'eningiZO of the nipple 21 ,formin a connection between the supply pipe 7 an the valve case. I

The device as shown is designed to o er-l ate in connection with an engine of the our 4cycle type, and one in which the cam shaft is given --ojn'e revolution 'to two of the engine shaft, and is provided with the usual Vcams operatively connec'zed with the regular exhaust and inlet valves,th`e exhaust valve being opened at each revolution of the cam'I shaft.- cated relative to the regular exhaust mech'- anism as to causethe suppelmental exhaust valve 14 to open when two of the four cycles have been completed; that is, with the starting mechanism inoperation, the engine `would operate the same as one having the two cycle type. The double cam 4 will operate in a manner to open the inlet valve twice during each revolution of the cam shaft, ory once during each revolution ofthe engine shaft, and the engine will operate precisely the same vas a'single acting steam en ine wherein the steam is admitted at eac backward stroke of the piston.

To start an engine 4equipped withmy invention, communication between the source of gas supply and the power cylinder is first closed.` Then the engine is turned until one of the `cams 4 is in position to hold the valve 10 lof its seat. Valve 9 is then openedand the compressed air ilows through the pdrtll into the chamber 12 and closes the eydiaust valve 14 and is conducted to the power cylinder vbynieans of the pipe 8, causing the engine piston to make its initial power stroke at the end of which either the supplemental The supplemental cam 3 is so loexhaust valve 14 will be opened by the supplemental cam 3, or the regular exhaust.

valve Will be opened by the regular means employed, depending upon their position when the .initial'stroke is made; the double cam 4 operating the inlet valve twice during each revolution of the cam shaft, and the ipkplemental cam 3 the exhaust valve once. l en a sufficient im etus has been imparted to the engine the va ve 9 is closed, shuttin oli the pressure of air in the valve case, an the re ular supply of explosive mixture is alloWe to flow to the vpower cylinder. As soon as. the valves 1() and 14 are relieved from the pressure of the air they drop .by gravity aWay from the cams 4 and 3 and Will remain in such inoperative position until again required for use in starting the engine and-the compressed air be admitted to'the valve case. What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

f 1. A starting mechanism for gas engines,

including, in combination, a supplemental valve casing having an annular chambertherein communicating with a supply of compressed air and the en ine cylinder, .an .inlet valve controlling the a mission'of air to said chamber and opening against the pressure of air from the source of supply, a supplemental exhaust ort communicating with said chamber and t e engine cylinder, a valve controlling said exhaust port and opening against the pressure'of air in said chamber, said valves being opened by 'a moving part of the engine and closed by thepressure of air.

2. Av starting mechanism for gas engines,

- including, in combination, a cam-shaft, a

A ber communicating with a supply of com'- sup lemental valve casing mounted below sai cam-shaft and having an annulai` champressedair and the engine cylin er, an inlet valve controlling the admission of air to said chamber and openin against the pressure of air from the source o supply, a supplemental .exhaust port communicating With said chambei" and the'engine cylinder, a .valve controlling said exhaust port and opening against the pressure of air in said c amber, cams secured to said cam-shaft and operative to open said valves at regular"intervals,lsaid valves being closed bythe air pressure.

3. A starting mechanism for gas engines, including, in combination, a cam-shai-'t 'deriving motion from the engine shaft a sup plemental valve casing mounted belowsaid cam-shaft and having an annular .chamber communicating with asu ply of compressed air and the engine cylin er, an inlet valve s controlling the admission of air to said chamber, a supplemental exhaust port communi-` eating with said chamber and the engine cylinder, a valve controlling said exhaust port, a cam secured to'vsaid cam-shaft and adapted to open saidV exhaust port valve onceduring each revolution of saidcain-sliaft, a

cam secured'to said cam-shaft and adapted to open said inlet valve twice during each' revolution of said cam-shaft, said valves being closed by means of the pressure of air within 'said valve casing.

4., A starting mechanism for gas en mes, including, in combination, a cam-sluit deriving motion from the engine shaft, a supplemental valve casing mounted cam-shaft and having an air chamber, an air conduit connecting said chamber with an engine cylinder, an air conduit connecting said chamber with a source of compresse air, a valve controlling the admission of air S0 to said chamber, a cam secured to said camshaft and operative to open said valve at roper intervals, an exhaust valve controling a sup lemental exhaust port communieating Wit inder, and a cam secured to said cani-shaft and operative. to open saidexhaust valve at; proper intervals, said valvesbeing held in contact with said 4cam's by means of the pressure of air Within said casin lWILLIAM K. NDREW.y

l Witnesses:

B.' C. WAIT, W. J. CARNEY.

below said said chamber and the engine cyl- 

